The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have the most storied rivalry in baseball, and the pair face off for the second season in a row in the AL Wild Card Round.
Game 1 sees the Yankees send Cy Young candidate Cam Schlittler to the hill, while Boston will lean on rookie Payton Tolle.
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox betting picks and predictions
Under 6.5 runs (-127)
The Boston Red Sox were 14 games under .500 after losing to the Toronto Blue Jays on June 18, but they became just the fourth team in the World Series era to overturn such a deficit to make the playoffs, where they take on their oldest rivals, the New York Yankees.
The ultra-competitive nature of the AL East means that only one of these two teams can make the Division Series, but it makes for what should be a cracker of a three-game set.
The pair took lumps out of each other all season, with the Yankees narrowly edging the head-to-head 7-6 and with the two teams splitting their six playoff series 3-3; this should be as close as they come.
Perhaps appropriate for such a series, Game 1 has the makings of a real pitchers’ duel. The Yankees send the Cy Young favorite Schlittler to the hill after putting together a 14-6 record with a 1.95 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP.
Facing off against him will be Tolle, who has a 9-6 record, a 3.30 ERA, and a 1.10 WHIP from his rookie season.
Both pitchers have been excellent against these opponents too, with Schlittler posting a 0.74 ERA in four starts against Boston this year while Tolle has a 0.69 ERA in two starts against the Yankees.
New York will be without Aaron Judge for at least Game 1 as he is forced to wait to return from a calf injury, while Boston’s biggest concern has been their faltering offense in recent weeks. The Red Sox ranked 29th in both OPS and batting average over the last 30 days of the season.
Against a Yankees pitching staff that had the best ERA in the league in the regular season, that is a big concern.
However, the Red Sox did have the best bullpen ERA in the majors, so all signs are pointing to a low-scoring affair in Game 1. Take the under.
Payton Tolle over 4.5 hits allowed (-115)
This is undoubtedly the biggest start of Tolle’s career, and while he had a very impressive rookie season, no one would begrudge him any nerves as he steps onto the Yankee Stadium bump.
The 23-year-old has given up 22 hits in his last four outings and has still managed to have solid outings, showing that he can get himself out of pressure moments.
That is a skill he will need in abundance in such a high-profile game, and it may be worth taking him to allow over 4.5 hits.
Cam Schlittler over eight strikeouts (+110)
Schlittler showed that his stuff remains electric in his last start, punching out five batters in just three innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. He has 239 strikeouts on the year and has had plenty of success against the Red Sox, punching out 27 in his four starts against them this season.
Side with the Yankees’ ace to go over eight strikeouts in this one.
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New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox Odds
New York Yankees | -140 |
Boston Red Sox | +120 |
Run Line | NY Yankees -1.5 |
Total | O/U 6.5 |
New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox player props
Player Home Run Odds
Ben Rice (NY Yankees) | +500 |
Roman Anthony (BOS Red Sox) | +525 |
Wilyer Abreu (BOS Red Sox) | +550 |
Willson Contreras (BOS Red Sox) | +575 |
Cody Bellinger (NY Yankees) | +600 |
Spencer Jones (NY Yankees) | +650 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
